1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of surgical implants for fixation of skeletal parts including bones and tendons. More particularly, the present invention relates to implantable tensile devices for fixation of skeletal parts and the use thereof whereby the skeletal parts to which the device is fastened are biased toward one another and/or expansion thereof is resisted.
2. Background
Devices for fixation of skeletal parts are today commonly used. These devices are made of biocompatible materials and are surgically implanted as needed, for example, in fastening fractured bones and torn tendons. Typically, they are fastened to the skeletal parts with treaded fasteners also made of biocompatible materials.
Some fixation devices are selectively flexibly deformable. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,206,882 discloses a flexibly deformable plate that includes flexure slots which enable a surgeon to more easily conform the plate to the surfaces of the skeletal parts. Fixation devices of this character are essentially rigid relative to the skeletal parts to which they are affixed and, therefore, do not provide any expansion that may be needed, for example, as a result of swelling.
Other fixation devices are flexibly elastic. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,761,719 discloses a spinal stabilization device made of shape memory material whereby, upon securement to vertebral bodies, the device will reform in response to the imposition of stress caused by displacement of the vertebral bodies and will recover to its initial configuration when the stress is removed.
Yet other flexible fixation devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,423,816 and US 2010/0076495 A1.